1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filter system for use with a glove box. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a glove box filter system for removing contaminants from an environment contained in a glove box.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the development of new materials used for photonics and electronics applications, the level of impurity contamination must be kept at extremely low levels, e.g. at levels below a few parts per billion. This imposes stringent requirements on particulate control in the rooms and chambers used in preparing infrared waveguide glass materials such as fluoride, telluride and chalcogenide glasses, materials which are prepared in bulk batch processes in controlled atmosphere glove boxes. The removal of all particulates from the work area, i.e. from a glove box chamber, is essential for the efficient manufacturing of high quality optical materials. Glass processing is an intrinsically particle generating process because, during the processing of glass-type materials, the work space in the glove box typically becomes contaminated with broken glass pieces and starting powder materials. Existing HEPA vacuum cleaners fail to provide adequate particle removal and filtration because, in any instances, dry oxygen gas is used as a background gas to avoid reduction of the hot glass. The dry oxygen causes deterioration of the carbon brushes used in presently available commercial vacuum cleaners, thereby generating detrimental dust in the interior glove box environment. Such dust is also generated from the use of dry argon or nitrogen.
Accordingly, a filter system for a glove box is needed for use in the preparation of highly sensitive materials, such as glass materials which are susceptible to contamination from particulates above a few parts per billion.